Device to prevent railroad-rails from spreading



(No Model.)

O. KEELER.

DEVICE TO PREVENT RAILROAD RAILS FROM SPRE ADING. .No. 445,449. PatentedJan. 27, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CALVIN KEELER, OF HOBART, NEV YORK.

DEVICE TO PREVENT RAlLRGAD-RAILS FROM SPREADING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 445,449, dated January27, 1891.

Application filed Tune 13, 1890. Serial No. 355,274. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN KEELER, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Ho bart-,in the county of Delaware and State of New York,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices forPreventing Railroad-Rails fromSpreading; and I do hereby declare thatthefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being. had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for preventingrailroad-rails from spreading, and also more effectually holding andretaining the fish-plate in position, whereby the safety of the trainsrunning on the rails is enhanced.

One of the chief causes of railway accidents is due to what is termedspreading of the railsth at is, they are forced apartcausin g the carsto jump the track. This spreading is particularly liable to occur oncurves and in bad weather, and is frequently the cause of seriousaccidents.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and economical device,in which the rails are securely held and prevented from spreading ordisplacement under ordinary circumstances. The improved constructionalso provides for holding the fish-plates at the joints securely, andalso acts as a nut lock for locking the nuts of said fislrplates.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts hereinafter fully described, and definitely pointed out in theclaim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view ofarailroad constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a planview of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the retaining-platesdetached.

In the said drawings, the reference-nu meral 1 designates the ties, and2 the rails. These may be of any ordinary or suitable construction.

The numeral 4 designates fish-plates for which embrace or engage withthe Webs ofthe rails, and they extend to about the center of the track,where their inner ends are angularly bent, forming projections 12,through which pass bolts 13, secured by nuts 14:. For the purpose offorminganut-lock these plates may have their outer ends also bentupwardly, forming projecting portlons 15, which are recessed or cut.away at 16, so as to engage with the nuts 7 of the bolts 6 and preventthem from turning, whereby the fishplates are securely held in place.The device also acts as a brake to prevent the rails from tipping over.

From the above it will be seen that an efficient and reliable device isprovided for preventing the rails from spreading, which in practical usewill be found to be of great value and importance.

. Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a railroad, thecombination, with the rails 2, the fish-plates 4, the bolts 6, and nuts7, of the retaining-plates S and 9, connected together at their innerends, and their other ends provided with grips to engage the rails, andwith upwardly-projecting portions 15, recessed at 16, to engage with andlock the nuts of the fish-plates, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CALVIN KEELER.

Witnesses:

A. M. WARNER, J. DEWITT CHURCH.

